Palm Coast wins reprieve as FAA stalls on training center move

Saturday

Mar 10, 2012 at 12:01 AMAug 15, 2012 at 1:54 PM

FRANK FERNANDEZ, STAFF WRITER

PALM COAST -- The Federal Aviation Administration training center's impending departure from Palm Coast has been grounded for now, giving the city a chance to compete to keep it and its 80 to 100 jobs.

The FAA had planned to move its Center for Management and Executive Leadership, with Kansas City, Mo. appearing as one of the leading sites. But U.S. Rep. John Mica, R-Winter Park, said on Friday the FAA would withdraw its current search for a new facility, a process which had excluded Palm Coast from even competing to keep the center.

"It's some good news," Mica said in a phone interview Friday. "We can't determine the outcome of this, but we wanted to make sure that there would be first open and fair competition."

Mica and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson worked to keep the center in Palm Coast. Mica, who chairs the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, included in the FAA Modernization and Reform Act a section which requires that contract proposals for training facilities would be designed so everyone can compete fairly and that the contracts consider the "most cost-effective location, accessibility, and services options."

"The FAA's training facility will remain in Palm Coast for the foreseeable future, and due to language included in the new FAA law I introduced in the House, Palm Coast will always have a fair shot at future contracts," Mica said in a statement Friday. "In addition, FAA officials informed us this morning that the agency will continue to operate the facility in Palm Coast while officials reconsider their training needs and budgetary realities."

Mica and local officials argued that closing down the center in Palm Coast would do further damage to a community already struggling with one of the highest unemployment rates in Florida.

The FAA Center for Management and Executive Leadership draws about 150 FAA employees on average a week to Palm Coast. The FAA leases the facility at 4500 Palm Coast Parkway SE from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

The FAA only issued brief statements on Friday, saying in an email that "Since the initial procurement was issued, several key factors now require the FAA to cancel the current procurement for training facility and conference space. The FAA will now evaluate future training requirements and current budget considerations to develop a more comprehensive and flexible training program for 2013 and beyond."

An FAA spokesperson declined to discuss the future of the Palm Coast facility except to note the terms of the lease with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

"The FAA's current lease expires on August 21, 2012, however there is an extension provision for up to 120 days," the emailed statement said.

The original solicitation from the FAA had knocked Palm Coast out of the competition by requiring a new facility to be within 25 miles of certain airports. Those airports were Kansas City International Airport, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Cleveland-Hopkins International Airport; Denver International Airport; Los Angeles International Airport; General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Wis.; and Orlando International Airport.

"That was moderately good news," Netts said. "Now read between the lines, I don't know whether they are saying they are just going to stay here or they are going to take another shot at it and comply with the restraints."

Netts said Mica and Nelson saw the good in keeping the center in the city. "I think Congressman Mica and Bill Nelson recognized the value to Flagler County in terms of jobs and I think they also recognized the value of being associated with Embry-Riddle," Netts said.

Netts said the city would do what it could to keep the center in Palm Coast.

"I think this is an important asset to Palm Coast and Flagler County," Netts said.

Embry-Riddle does not handle the training at the FAA center but it maintains the facility, said Christina Frederick-Recascino, vice president for academics and research. She said 21 Embry-Riddle employees work maintaining the facility.

"We are very pleased that the FAA is withdrawing that and we will continue to have a facility in Palm Coast," she said.

She said that the original solicitation from the FAA had made it impossible to bid for the facility because of the requirement to be near certain airports. But she added the FAA had also requested a much larger facility and there is no room for expanding the Palm Coast facility.

"They had asked for significantly more space and there' s no way we could have built what they wanted on that property," she said.